Display device



April 1 1 L. 5 GEER DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 7, 1928 2 $heets l 25 luflr v v INVENTOR' BY WM 4. A TO N April 1, 1930. s. :GEER 1,753,004

DISPLAY DEVICE Filed May 7, 1928 8 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

" ATTQRNEY. f

Patented Apr. 1, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LAWRENCE s. GEER, on NEW YORK, n. Y.,

ASSIGNOR 'ro GUSTAV I-I. FROMMANN, or

oonoonn, NEWYonK H DISPLAY nnvrcn Application filed May 7, 1928. Serial No. 275,654.

like upon counters, show-cases, or in winfor shipment may dows.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide a device of the character specified which in its knocked-down or normal state be folded to render the same compact for transportation and storage purposes in connection with the articles eventually to be disposed thereon, and which device may be readily adjusted to operative position to support the article to be displayed thereon. I

Further, said invention has for its object to provide a device of the character specified which when adjusted to operative position will be firm and rigid, and capable of supporting the article to be disposed thereon in exposed position without danger of becoming overbalanced and tipping over.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide a device of the character specified which may be readily adjusted to operative position and locked therein.

Further, said invention has for its object to provide a device of the character specified in which the article-supporting portion thereof is hinged to a transverseportion or vertical member to permit of the folding of said article-supporting portion flat against said transverse portion or member to render the device compact for transportation or storage purposes, and in which said portions, when adjusted to operative position, interlock to form a rigid support.

1; Further, said invention has for itsobject to provide a device of the character. specified in which a portion thereof engaging the article displayed serves to lock or secure the device to adjusted position, and the article in place upon the support.

Other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed out hereinafter.

To the attainment of the aforesaid objects and ends, my invention consists in the novel details of construction and in the combination, connection and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described" andithen pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings showing an illustrative embodiment of the invention- Figure 1 isa perspective, with the-parts in operative position and with the article or can in position thereon, showing one form of device constructed according to and embodying my said invention; V i

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the parts in unlocked position;

Fig. 3 is a plan thereof with the transverse member in section;

Fig. i is a perspective showing a modification, the partsbeing shown in locked position with the article in position;

Fig. 5 is a side view'thereof with the trans- I verse member in section;

Fig. 6 is a plan thereof with the transverse member in section, and

Fig. 7 is a perspective of a portion-of the transverse member illustrating the manner in which the article is locked thereto;v

Referring to Figs. 1 to 3, the device com-' prises a flat transverse member 10 of any suitable contour adapted to be supported in substantially vertical position, and having a straight supporting edge 11 at its base. An angular or V-shaped support 12 projects forwardly from the memberlO, and comprises the parts or members 13 and l t hinged toe. gether vertically along'their contiguous ends, as indicated at 15. The member 13 is hinged vertically to the point of-the member 10: at its remaining end, as indicated at 16.-

The parts 13. and 14; arepreferably formed from a single blank of material, board or the like, which is scored or weak ened along the lines '15 and 16 constituting, the hinges. As shown at Fig. 3, the hinges 15 and 16 are reinforcedflat the inner sides thereof by strips 17 preferably of paperor fabric pasted or otherwise secured to the such as card-.

member by suitable attaching devices 19. The portlons 20 and 21 of the members 13 and 14 contiguous to themember 10 are of considerable height compared to the forward portions 22 and 23 of said members 13 and 14. The portions 20 and 21 are provided with relatively steep downwardly and forwardly inclined front edges 24 and 25. The upper edges 26 and 27 of the forward portions 22 and 23 extend from the points 28 at the bases of the edges 24 and 25 .forwardly and upwardly at a slight inclination to the points 29, and then extend substantially vertically to form a projection 30. The lower edges of the members 13 and 14 are preferably straight.

The support 12, because of the hinges thereof, may be folded against the member 10, as indicated at Fig. 2. For the purpose of locking the support 12 in operative position for use, theport-ion 21 at the upper end thereof is provided with a rearwardly extending guiding tongue 31 adapted to enter a correspondingly located vertical slot 32 in the vertical member 10, and the inner lower portion of the member 14 is provided with a relatively larger extension or tongue 33 adapted to be received within the slot 34 in the member 10, and extending upwardly from the lower edge 11 thereof in alinement with the slot 32. The tongue 33 is, provided with a curved upper edge 35 constituting guiding means or cam for directing the tongues into position within the slots 32 and 34. The tongues 31 and 33 at their forward ends below the upper edges thereof have vertical slots 36.

and 36 open at the upper ends thereof and are adapted to receive the portions of the member 10 at the upper ends of the slots 32 and 34, whereby to'securely lock the parts together as shown at Fig. 1. Thetongue 33 also serves as a brace and support for the device at the rear of the member 10. When the parts are locked together as shown at Fig. l, the lower edges 11 and 30 serve to properly support the device upon a flat surface.

The article A, for example a can, is received in the recesses or notches formed in the upper parts of the members 13 and 14, and the same is retained in position thereon between the projection 30 and the edges 24 and 25. With the article supported as illustrated, the center of gravity thereof is disposed within the confines of the base, so that the device will support the article without danger of toppling over. 7 a

- The article A is secured in position by looking means on the member 10. As illustrated at Figs. 1 to 3, this means comprises an opening 37 in the member 10 and of a contour adapted to receive and closely fit a portion of the upper end of the article A at the rear portion 18, forming the continuation of the part 13 beyond the thereof. The horizontal edge of the opening 37 in the member 10 is sufiiciently yielding and resilient in a rearward direction to permit of the upper rear edge of the can A being sprung into position thereunder and to be gripped firmly thereby when the can A is pressed into the opening 37.

At Figs. 4 to 7 is shown an opening 38 in the member 10 of a shapeto receive a can or article B of another form-or stylefIn this modified construction the opening 38 comprises an enlarged portion 39 to receive the body of the can B, and a constricted portion 39 for receiving the neck or nozzle thereof. The member 10 at the upper side of the enlarged portion 39 is provided with a flap 4O constituting a locking member or catch for retaining the can B in place. When the can B is pressed into the opening 38 the flap 40 is forced rearwardly and engages the bead or rim 41 on the can B, thereby locking the can inposition on the support 12 against removal until the flap 40 is lifted out of the way. The structure shown at Figs. 4 to 7 is in other respects like the structure shown at Figs. 1 to 3. V

The article is carried by the forward portion of the device in exposed position. The device may serve to support packages of merchandise of various characters, and advertising matter or directions may be printed upon the faces of the device as desired.

It is to be noted that while I have shown the supporting device constructed to receive and retain an article, such as a can, that the recesses and notches provided in the support 12, 12? and the openings 37 and 38 may be varied to receive and support articles of different shapes and contours.

Having thus described what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A device of the character described comprising a transverse member, a foldable supporting member movably connected at one end to the front of said transverse member to move on a vertical axis, and cooperating means on said transverse member and at the other end of saidsupporting member for locking said, members together in adjusted position, substantially as specified. 2. A device of the prising a transverse member, and a V-shaped supporting member for an article to be displayed projecting forwardly from said transverse member, and including a plurality of foldable parts;'one of said parts being movably connected to said transverse member, and the other thereof detachably interlocking therewith, substantially as specified.

3. A device of the character described coinprising a transverse member, and a plurality of vertical members projecting forwardly from said transverse member and hinged together at the forward end thereof; one of my said invention,

character described comsaid members being hinged at one end to said transverse member, and means for detachably locking the other of said members to said transverse mechanism, substantially as specified.

4. A device of the character described comprising a vertical transverse member, and vertical members converging forwardly from said transverse member; said last named members having the forward portions thereof of reduced height compared to the rear portions thereof; and said forward portions having the upper edges thereof extending downwardly and r'earwardly, and forming with the forward edges of said rear portions recesses for receiving an article to be displayed and holding it in a backwardly inclined position, substantially as specified.

5. A device of the character described comprising a vertical transverse member, and vertical members having forward portions of reduced height compared to the rear portion thereof and converging forwardly from the intermediate portion of said transverse member; said last named members being hinged together at the outer ends thereof; and one of said last named members being hinged at the inner end thereof to said transverse member, and means for detachably locking the other of said last named members to said transverse member; the upper edges of said last named members having recesses formed therein for receiving an article to be displayed, substantially as specified.

6. A device of the character described comprising a transverse member having a slot extending inwardly from the lower edge thereof, a second slot above and in alinement with said first-named slot, a plurality of vertical members converging forwardly from said transverse member and hinged together at their outer ends; one of said last-named members being hinged at its inner end to said transverse member, and a plurality of interlocking means on the inner end of the other of said last-named members adapted to be received within said slots for locking said members together, substantially as specified.

7. A device of the character described comprising a transverse member having a straight lower edge and a slot extending inwardly therefrom, a plurality of members hinged together and one of said members hinged at one end to said transverse membe and having straight lower edges, and the other of said hinged members having a loci;- ing portion at the inner end thereof adapted to be received within said slot for locking the parts together; said locking portion projecting beyond the rear of said transverse member, and serving to support the same, substantially as specified.

8. A device of the character described comprising a transverse member having a slot extending inwardly from the lower edge thereof, a second slotin alinement with and above said first-namedslot, a plurality of of-vertical members converging forwardly from said transverse member and hinged together at their outer ends; said last-named members having outer portions of reduced height compared to the inner portions thereof and provided with recesses in the upper edge thereof for receiving an article to be displayed; one of said last-named members being hinged at its. inner portion to said transverse member; and tongues at the inner end ofthe-other of said inembers'arranged in vertical alinement and having open=slots therein below the upper edges thereof, the lower of said tongues having a curved upper edge extending rearwardly and downwardly, and a straight lower edge serving as a support to the rear of said transverse member when said tongues are engaged within their respective slots, substantially as specified. r

a 9. A device of the character described comprising a transverse member having an opening therein, a support for an article to be displayed extending vpivotally therefrom below said opening, and having a recess for receiving said article and for supporting the same with the upper portion of the articles received within said opening, and a member extending from the edge of the recessin said transverse member within said opening adapted to engage said article to'lock the same within said opening, substantially as specified.

10. A device of the character described comprising a transverse member having an opening therein, a support for an article to be displayed extending pivotally therefrom below said opening, and having a recess for receiving said article and for supporting the same with the upper portion of the article received within said opening, and a flap portion on said transverse member within said opening adapted to engage said article to lock the same within said opening, substantially as specified.

11. A device of the character described comprising a transverse member having an opening therein, a support for an article to be displayed extending forwardly therefrom below said opening, and having a recess for receiving said article and for supporting the same with the upper portion of the article low said opening, and having a-recess for receiving 831d article and for supporting the same With the upper portion of the article received Within said opening, and a locking member extending into said recess and secured to the edgeof said recess along a Weak ened line; said locking member being adapted to engage along its free edge'with the upper edge of said article at a point to the rear of said transverse member or looking said article in position upon said support, substantially as specified.

13.A device of the character described, I

comprising a transverse member, a supporting member for an article to be displayed, the bottom edges of said transverse member and said supporting member lying in the same plane, said supporting member comprising two vertical members, one of which is permanently and hingedly secured to said transverse member, said vertical members themselves being hinged together, said transverse member havin slots and thersecond of said vertical members having tongues to entersaid slots and retain said supporting member in its operative position, the upper edge portions of said supportingmember being-recessed to receive an article to be displayed and hold it in a rearwardly inclined position.

Signed at the city of New York, in the county and State of New York, this 11th day of April, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-eight.

LAWRENCE S. GEER. 

